In general terms, this invention relates to a method of simulating environmental exposure of an item over time.
A variety of commercial goods are exposed to environmental factors over time, which affect the lifetime or performance of the product. Air conditioning systems include various components that are exposed to environmental factors during the service life of the components. It is desirable to simulate the effects of the environmental factors on the various components over time to permit design improvements or adjustments to increase the quality or length of service of the various components.
A variety of environmental simulation tests are known. Most tests have been designed for particular items or industries. For example, the automotive industry has several known tests used to simulate environmental effects on vehicle bodies and engines. Additionally, tests vary depending on the expected environment in which the item of interest will be utilized.
Within the air conditioning industry, several tests have been used. One popular test is known as the prohesion cyclic corrosion test. During this test, an electrolyte spray is applied at a temperature of 25° C. for a period of about one hour. The item is then dried for about one hour at a temperature of 35° C. The spray and dry cycles are then repeated many times over. The solution sprayed upon the test item typically has a content including 0.05% NaCl and about 0.35% (NH4)2SO4 with a pH within the range from about 5.0 to about 5.4. While the prohesion test does provide some acceleration of the effects of environmental exposure, the acceleration is not fast enough to provide meaningful results to facilitate effectively evaluating new products.
Additionally, with known methods there is a difficulty in correlating the test results to actual environmental conditions.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved environmental simulation process. This invention addresses that need while avoiding the shortcomings of prior methods.